I have a serious question...?

Question

I used to have a stuttering problem as a child, and went to speech therapy for it. It has since went away. However, now for the past 4 or 5 years have had trouble saying my name. I know my name, but when people ask me in person or if meet them, I freeze up or try to say it and stammer badly. The same thing happens when I use the phone. If people ask me my name, for some reason I can't say it and it makes me look stupid or people look at me weird.

Are there any tips that you can give me to help me with this problem? I am a confident person and I want to overcome this obstacle. Have any of you had this problem before? Is it anxiety? Please help me if you can. Thank you for your answers...:)

- Steven.

Answer 1

I think elements suggestion is good. I think it is probably from anxiety. There is a site, anxietycoach.com, that you can get help on anxiety. Take a few deep breaths and learning to relax with people can help before meeting people. Don't worry about looking bad. Think of it as an endearing quality. I have memory freezes often when talking to people as well.
When I was in graduate school I came in every morning, opened an office, and went to get water. On the way I always saw a female friend in the hall and said good morning and briefly talked One morning I saw her in the hall, said good morning, and then realized I could not remember her name as I did every weekday. Luckily she didn't notice. I haven't seen her in 30 years. Her name was Susan by the way.

Answer 2

I think it is anxiety. I used to stutter just from being nervous. I made a decision one summer in high school that I was going to get over it. I talked slower and made a point of getting out each word. In time I was able to talk faster and I didn't stutter. Practice saying your name. Imagine talking to people and answering them. Imagine introducing yourself. Say it out loud. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.

Answer 3

I would suggest there is an unconscious trigger which causes this dilemma. There must have been some pretty emotional responses, when you were younger. Relating to your problem and how you felt as a result of it. Those emotions have been implanted into the recesses of the sub-conscious. They can and will act as triggers to create a conscious response.

This trigger can be eliminated, should you consider doing it.

Answer 4

Try and make yourself slow down no matter what. And do practice looking into a mirror that will help also.Good Luck!!

Answer 5

Try practicing in front of the mirror often. It really helps. Thats what my cousin did. She had the same problem. I hope it works hun.